Apron conveyer



Aug. 23, l932. T ALLSOP 1,873,865.

APRON CONVEYER Filed Sept. 2, 1931 Wl TNESSES TTRNEYS. l

Patented Aug. Y23, 1932.

'rHoMAs ALLsor, oIfMoUnr AIRY, PENNSYLVANIA, `AssIerivon 'ro 'TI-IEPHILADELPHIA ;iDnYINe MACHINERY COMPANY, or :PIIILADELPHIAPENNsYLvANIA,A CORPORA- TIN v OFV PENNSYLVANIA 'This inventionV relatesv.generally to apron conveyers and, more particularly, to the type.commonly known as sectional conveyersuse- .7, ful, for' example, totransport material in "'59 loose orbulk form through treating apparatus,such as' drying andy conditioning machines. V

Conveyers of the kind referred to usually ,M comprise perforate sectionspivotally con- ViQ'neCtedjin sequence and suitably sustained betweenspaced,progressing means.

An important object of this invention is to provide a sectionalconveyer,of the rex., ferred to form, characterized by 'novel feai5tures eli'ective to positively prevent sagging at the unionrofconsecutive sections.

Another object is to provide an endless ,sectionalr conveyor whichfunctions smooth- VA ly atall times, as well as when negotiating '""ocurvilinear paths or passing around the sprockets whereby such conveyersare usually progressed. l Y Other objects of myvinvention will appear frVfrom thefollowing description which is 'directed to a practicalembodiment thereof,

reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawing forming apartof this specification; while thefeatures of novelty are ,.7 moreparticularly expressed in the claims W4'550 hereto appended. Y I In thedrawing j Fig. I is a fragmentary longitudinal section of a portion ofan apron conveyer em- ,.,V- T bodying the present improvements.

" 35 Fig. II is a partiall plan view of the'pre- 'cedingillustratiomtaken as indicated by the l components arrows II--IIthereabove; and, y

' Fig. III is a vertical section, taken as indicated by the arrowsIII-III in Fig. II. Referring more in detailrto the drawing, the numeral5 designates one of a pair of Yspaced sprocket chains, one only beingshown to avoid unnecessary illustratiomthatjointly support between thema series of screen sections 6. Each chain 5 is composed-of double linkswhereof the outside components are indicated at 7 and the inside at 8,the components of the contiguous links interlapping at their ends andbeing connected by pivot pins 9. In order to serve as spill nApplication filled.V September 2, 17931. Serial No. 560,743,

Vne'sfs across the width of the conveyer,

i215 (Fiss VVrelation to the screen sections 6; while the Arnon y icoNvEYEn preventing guards, at the sides of the conveyer, the in-sidevchain components 8 are vmade of a suitable depth so as .to extend wellabove the screen sections 6, and they project .i

.at their'ends beyond the pivot pins 9 so` as to overlap even whenrounding the progressingl sprockets, the pitch. line of one ofwhi'ch isindicated by a dot-and-dash line 10 in Fig.

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I. Rollers 12ar'e mounted on the pivot bush- I ings'orfpins 9, betweenthe link components 7,'8, and adapted kto travel along suitableguiderails 11, so that the conveyer is supported against sagging underload.

Each screen section 6 is made from'suitable mesh wire screening, of awidth closely approximating the distance between the in-side chaincomponents 8, and of an'over-alllength substantially ycorresponding,withthe dimen- `sion intervening'the axes of the successiveA pivot pins 9.`Furthermore, it is `tobe particularly noted, lI appropriately fashionthe longitudinal wires of each' screensection 6, soas to provide aseries of end eyes' or selvage loops 13 in axial alignment,'for apurpose later on again referred to.V 1 Y Extending between and inalignment with the Vaires or pivot pins 9 of the sprocket Vchains y5 aretransverse girts 14, which are supported at their ends by angle-brackets15, in turn. clamped, bysuitable Vsecuring means suchv as bolts 16, tolaterally turned flanges '17 'integral with the 1in-side components 8 ofsaid sprocket chains, with interposition of the adjoining screen sectioncorners,`as is 'obvious yfrom the drawing. Each girtl't'comprises fAopposed symmetrical rectangularly-grooved 18 with flanking Vco-'planarvflanges proportioned to give sufiicient stiffand at theirlower flangedportions, as'viewed in Figs; I and III, they are rigidly connected, asby rivets 19. Between the upper flanged `portions of the girt components18y thereis clamped, as by rivets 19,'a section 20 yof woven wire meshprovided with selvagev loops I and III) as above .described'in girts '14are secured to the brackets lby bolts These loopsvl` of the girtsections20, as well as loops13 of the screensections 6,

jointly afford aligned bearing elements for the hinge wires or rods 23,which are introduced through the loops 13 and 21, in an obvious manner,so as to form a hinge connection the axis whereof is in direct axialalignment with the axes of opposing sprocket chain'pivotjpins 9. fIt isto be noted,'how ever, that the loops 13 of the screen sections 6 arearranged to permit a limited `amount of lateral movement; while it is tobe par ticularly remarked that the supporting girts 14 are locateddirectly below the hinge wires or rods 23, whereby the latter aremaintained in positive axial alignment at all times with respect to thesprocketchain pivot pins 9. A From the foregoing it will be apparentthat by supporting the girts 14 at ltheir ends, through the medium ofthe brackets 15, rigidly relative to the chain components 8, that saidgirts in turn similarly support the hinge wires or rods 23 across thewhole width of the conveyer by means of the loops 13, 21, which therebyeHectively prevents sagging lof said wires or rods, with resultantsmoother functioning of the conveyer when operating and passing aroundits progressing sprockets.

Stiifening wires, not shown, may be incorporated in the screen sections6 to prevent sagging between the respective girts 14, and looped forpassage of the hinge wires or rods 23, in an obvious manner.

In conclusion the details of construction of the various parts, and theproportions thereof, may all be varied as desired without departing fromthe spirit of my inventionas set forth in thefollowing claims.

Having thus described my invention, what laterally-spaced link chains,screen sections of perforate material having end eyes axially alignablewith the chain link pivots, trans'- verse girts including an elementaifording serial eyes similarly located relative to said pivots, hingeelements introduced through the contiguous screen and girteyes, andbrackets rigidly supporting the girts from corresponding links of thetwo chains whereby the hinge elements are maintained in direct axialalignment with the link pivot axes and sagging at the union of theconsecutive screen sections is prevented.

laterally-spaced link chains, conveyer sections of woven wire mesh withthe longitudinal strands fashioned to provide serial selvage loopsaxially alignable with the chain link pivot pins, transverse girtsincluding a woven wire sectionV with serial selvage loops similarlylocated relative to said pivots, hinge elements introduced throughadjoining conveyer wire sections and associated girt wire section loops,and brackets rigidly supporting the girts transversely belowcorresponding links of the two chains whereby the hingeelements areconstantly maintained in direct axial alignment with the axes ofopposing chain link lpivot pins and sagging at the union of consecutiveconveyer sect-ions is prevented.

4. An apron conveyer comprising a pair of laterally-spaced link chains,conveyer sections of woven wire mesh with the longitudinal strandsfashioned to provide serial selvage loops axially alignable with thecha-in link pivot pins, said selvage loops being spacially arranged topermit a limited amount of lateral movement, transverse girts includinga woven wire section with serial selvage loops similarly locatedrelative to said pivots, hinge' formed selvage loops.

6. In an apron conveyer of the kind described, a girt embodying opposedrectangularly-grooved portions, and an interengaging woven wire sectionhaving serial selvage loops in direct axial alignment.

7 In an apron conveyer of the kind described, a girt comprising opposedrectangularly-grooved components with co-planar flanking iianges, awoven wire section engageable between a pair of the adjoining flanges,

said section I having serial selvage loops in direct axial alignmentalong its free edge, and -means for clamping said parts in permanentassociation.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, this 25th day of August, 1931.

THOMAS ALLSOP.

' 3. apron conveyer comprising-a pair of f

